Portable air conditioner



Sept. 15, 1936- H. c. HETTINGER 2,054,541

PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONER Filed July 18, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet l [7? W67? far Jaw/Izzy p 15,,1936- H. c. HETTINGER 2,054,541

PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONER Filed July 18, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1?? 27672 for P 1936- H. c. HETTINGER 2,054,541

PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONER Filed July 18, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 fizyewzar Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 18,

1a Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a portable air conditioner, and more particularly to a. portable article of furniture having an air conditioning mechanism installed therein.

One of the main objects of this invention is to equip a portable article of furniture, such as a parlor table, a dining room table, a night stand, an office desk, a phonograph, and the like with an improved air conditioning mechanism; whereby to provide a portable air conditioner adapted to be set up in the particularly desired location in the home or oflice, and at the same time to leave the article of furniture still adapted for its generally intended use.

Another object is to provide an improved air conditioning unit which is especially adapted to be readily installed in such an article of furniture, either to be mounted in one that is in use, or to be built into a new one. H

A further object is to provide adjustable means on the parts of this combination conditioner and article of furniture, so that the number of air outlets and the direction of flow of air from the conditioner can be conveniently regulated, to emit the conditioned air from the selected side or from several sides of the article, and in the desired direction.

These and various other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which the invention is illustrated in its preferred form of construction, it being understood that various other arrangements and forms of construction may be resorted to for carrying out the objects and purposes of this invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an article of furniture embodying my invention, shown in its preferred form of construction.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, having the major part of the top board removed therefrom.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric driving means with circuit and switch means adapted for this invention.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2. I

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4, on a slightly enlarged scale.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed view showing the air moistening means and the means for distributing' the liquid thereto.

In the drawings I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention in its preferred form of construction, which essentially-consists of a port;

1935, Serial No. 31,992

able article or piece of furniture l0 and an air conditioner ll built therein and combined therewith. This combination is arranged so as to be readily movable about the home or the office, to be used at any desired place therein for conditioning the air; and at the same time the article of furniture is still adapted for use like formerly, with or without operating the conditioner.

For convenience of illustration, the article of furniture is shown herein in the form of a small table, which comprises supporting elements or legs l2 carrying a shelf l3 adjacent their lower ends and a top frame I provided with a top member or board l5 thereon at the upper end. This top board is arranged to be opened on the frame, for example, by using hinges l6, so as to provide ready access to the air conditioner and installation thereof. Said top frame includes side boards l4 having several portions or doors I! thereon arranged to be opened for'emitting the conditioned air, also a bottom board l8 whereby the frame is secured upon the legs. The frame and top provide an air distributing chamber [9 therein.

The doors I! are arranged to be set at various angles, so as to deflect the air variously upwards or straight out from the air distributing chamber Ill. The doors are therefore preferably hinged to the frame, and are provided with means for frictionally holding them in either the closed or the selected open positions. Said friction means preferably includes an arm or rod 2| of resilient material attached to the door, and

a curved sleeve 22 which is secured to the frame H by fastening means 23, said rod fitting closely and being held frictionally in the curved sleeve, whereby the door is held securely in the desired position, but permits manipulation thereof. Guard means 2| is mounted in the door openings, to emit air, but prevent entrance or injury to the fingers.

The conditioner comprises a side frame including several side members or walls 25, each having an opening 26 therein cbvered with reticular means or a lattice member 21, adapted toadmit the air therethrough and serve as guard means. A door 28 is provided on this frame, and it is readily mad. by mounting one of the side walls hingedly on the others, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5. Said frame is mounted upon the shelf l3 and secured to the board I 8 of the upper frame.

A casing 30 is mounted in frame members 25, being preferably made in the form of a sheet metal lining, and provided with an out-turned flange, ill at the upper end which rests on/boar" l8; while a window 29 is provided in the front wall of the casing, inward of door 28 to enable seeing the inside members. The upper part 30 of the casing fits closely in an opening 32 in ,board l8, so that the casing and its contents can be withdrawn from the table. The lower part of the casing provides a well 33 which is supported on shelf l8, and the intermediate part of the casing walls are cut-away providing air inlet openings or windows 34 therein, between the upper part 36 and the well 33, leaving corner members 35 connecting said part and well.

The air moistening means includes a wire frame 36 provided with porous covering means 31 thereover, preferably in the form of fabric sheet means mounted around said frame, the two extending from the bottom of the well, across the inside of air inlet openings 26 and 34, up to the inside of an inturned flange means 38 provided on the lower edge of casing part 30. A bar or strap 39 of rubber or the like rests on said flange means to form a seal between the top of the air moistener and the casing part 30', and prevent air being drawn in over the top of said moistener instead of through the same; and a screen or netting 40 is preferably mounted across the inside of said moistener to prevent the sheet means 31 from being drawn-too far inward with the air.

A trough or liquid holding means 4| (see Fig. 6) is supported on said strap 39, and has a strip 42 of felt or similar permeable material folded over its inner wall, to siphon the liquid from the trough, and preferably scalloped or pointed means 42' provided on its overhanging edge to distribute the liquid evenly over said air moistening means,

as indicated by the drops 43 shown in Fig. 6.

The bottom of the well is provided with a pit 44 wherein a pump 45 is mounted for lifting the liquid from the well through a pipe 46 into trough 4|, and a pit 48 for receiving a float 49. ,A channel 50 connects pits 44 and 48, and a drain valve 5| is provided on one of said pits for draining the well.

A fan or air moving member 52 is mounted in chamber l9, to draw the air through the moistener, up through casing part 30', into chamber l9, and drive it out through doors I1. Curved guide plates 53, provided with inner deflecting edges 53' are preferably mounted in the corners of chamber I9 to guide the fan-driven air to the doors l1.

The driving means for driving the pump and the fan is preferably in the form of a small motor 55 which is supported by bracket arms 56 upon flange means 3| resting on frame board l8, so as to be withdrawable from the casing, and also therewith from the table.

The fan 52 is preferably carried upon the upper end of motor shaft 51 and is driven thereby, and means 58 is provided at the lower end of the motor for driving a link 59 which is adjustably connected to piston rod 60 of pump 45. w g

The float 49 is adjustably carried on a lever 6| pivoted on a bracket 62 in the well, and a rod 63 is attached by a yoke 64 to an intermediate part of said lever, being frictionally retained thereon and slidable lengthwise thereof for adjustment; while the upper part of rod 63 is attached to the movable arm 65 of a switch 66 positioned at the top of casing 36', as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This switch is normally closed, while the float is raised; but is opened, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, when the float drops into pit 48 whenever thewell is nearly empty.

As indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 3, the

wiring circuit 61 is connected with motor 55 and includes a switch 66 which is closed by depressing its movable element 69 by lowering the top [4 thereon into its closed position; and when the top is raised, the switch automatically opens to break the circuit, as indicated in Fig. 3. A switch 10 is also provided for each. of the doors I1, being interposed in the circuit as indicated, and a spring H on each switch draws and normally holds its movable element 12 in the closed position whenever the door ll is opened, as shown at the lower left of Fig. 2. When the door is closed, the inner end of its friction arm 2|, which is preferably provided with an insulator 13, engages and moves switch arm 12 and opens the switch, as indicated at the right hand side of Fig. 2.

It is evident from the above that when all the doors I! are closed, and no air is expelled from the conditioner, the switches 10 will be opened and the motor circuit broken; and when any door is opened its switch is closed automatically to complete the circuit. Likewise that when the top I4 is raised, for inspection and the like, that switch 68 will be opened to break the circuit for stopping the motor, and when the top is closed said switch will be closed? It is also evident that when the well is empty the float 49 and rod 63 will open switch 65 to break the circuit and discontinue operation of the motor.

It is apparent that this invention provides an air conditioner adapted to be readily moved about for use in any desired part of the home or office, while it is at the same time still suitable for use as an article of furniture; and it should also be noted that this device is adapted to have ice placed in the well for cooling the air as well as moistening the same.

I claim: 7

1. An article of furniture having an air conditioner combined therewith, said article including supporting means and a frame thereon, doors swingable on said frame, cooperating friction means on each door and on the frame, whereby the door can be held at varous positions of opening, said conditionercomprising air moistening means, means to contain and to distribute liquid over said moistening means, means to draw air through said moistening means and expel it through an open door, and means actuated by said friction means whereby the operation of said air drawing means is automatically discontinued when all the doors are closed.

2. An article of furniture having an air conditioner installed therein and combined therewith, said article comprising supporting legs provided with a lower shelf and an upper frame having side boards with openable members and a top thereover, said conditioner being mounted uponsaid shelf, within said supporting legs and frame below said top and comprising air moistening sheet means, a trough for containing liquid, felt means depending therefrom to distribute the liquid evenly over said moistening means,-and means to draw air through the moistening means and to deflect it beneath said top and expel it through the openable members when the same are in the open position.

3. The subject matter set forth in claim 2, wherein the conditioner is removably carried by the supporting legs, and the top is hinged on the upper frame to be readily openable permitting convenient access to the conditioner.

4. A portable article of furniture having an air conditioner combined therewith, said article comprising supporting elements carrying a shelf therein and a frame and a top thereon, the conditioner being mounted upon the shelf within the frame, beneath the top, doors on several sides of said frame provided with friction means for holding them open in the, particular adjusted position to deflect the air in the one desired direction, and likewise in several selected directions the conditioner comprising means for containing liquid, porous sheet means connected therewith, means to distribute liquid evenly over said sheet means, and means to draw the air through the moistened sheet means toward said top and drive it through said doors in the selected direction.

5. The subject matter set forth in claim 4, including means actuated by said friction means, whereby to automatically discontinue the operation of said air drawing means when all said doorsare closed.

6. The subject matter set forth in claim 4, wherein the top is readily openable providing convenient access to the conditioner, also including means automatically actuated by the opening of said top for discontinuing the opera tion of said air drawing means while said top remains open. 7 Z. A portable air conditioner combined with an article of furniture "including supporting means and an upper frame portion having air. .outlet means thereon, said conditioner comprising liquid containing means, wall means including porous sheet means extending upward from said liquid containing means, liquid holding and distributing means mounted above said sheet means for distributing liquid evenly thereon, means for moving the liquid from the containing means to the holding means, means for drawing the air through the moistened porous sheet means and expelling it through said outlet means, and means whereby the liquid moving means and the air drawing means automatically discontinue operation when said liquid containing means is substantially empty.

8. A portable air conditioner provided with supporting means including an upper frame having air outlet means thereon, said conditioner comprising a well to contain liquid, said well containing a pit having drain means thereon, porous sheet means arising from the well, liquid holding means and scalloped permeable means extending therefrom for distributing said liquid over said sheet means, a pump in said pit for pumping the liquid from the well into said holding means, and means for. drawing the air through the porous sheet means and for driving it out through said outlet means.

9. The subject matter of claim 8, including means for automatically discontinuing the oper-- ation of said liquid pumping means when the.

well is substantially empty.

60 10. A portable article of'furniture having an air conditioner combined therewith, said article comprising legs carrying alower shelf and top.

frame with an openable top board thereon, side doors on said frame, said conditioner having its lower end mounted on said shelf and its upper end mounted in an opening provided in said top frame, the conditioner being withdrawable from the article of furniture while the top board is raised, said conditioner having a well at its bottom and wall means at its sides provided with porous sheet means arising from the well, liquid holding means and means extending therefrom to distribute liquid onto said sheet means, means to move the liquid from the well to said holding means, means removably mounted on the frame to draw air through the porous means and drive it out through said doors, and means to holdthe doors adjustably open at the desired angle, whereby the conditioned air may be emitted from one side or several sides of the article of furniture and by each door deflected in the desired direction. l

11. A portable air conditioner provided with a chamber at its upper end having several outlet members thereon, a well in the lower end of the conditioner, outer wall means extending to said chamber and having openings therein provided with porous sheet means which arises from the Well, trough means provided with overhanging permeable means which has the overhanging edge arranged to distribute liquid evenly over said sheet means, a pump to lift the liquid from the well into the trough means, means to draw air through the moistened sheet means and up to the frame to be emitted through said outlet members, and means to drive said pump and'said air'drawing means.

12. A portable air conditioner provided with frame means including side doors and an openable top, liquid containing means, porous air moistening means, means to distribute liquid on said air moistening means, means for lifting the liquid from the containing means to the distributing means, normally closed switch means which is opened to stop the lifting means when the container is empty, means for drawing air through the moistening means and expelling it through the open door, switch means for each door arranged to stay normally closed, means on each door to open said switch means by the closing of the door, switch means which is closed and opened respectively by the closing and the opening of the top,-means for driving the liquid lifting means and the air drawing means, and an electric circuit which includes said driving means and all of the switch means, whereby to auto- -matically stop the driving means under the several stated conditions.

HENRY C. HE'I'I'INGER. 

